EU freezes assets of Yanukovych and aides

The European Union today (6 March) froze the assets of the former president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, and barred him from travelling to the EU.

Another 17 of his closest allies, including his two sons, face the same restrictions.

The former prime minister, Mykola Azarov, and his son Oleksiy are on the blacklist, as are the former head of Yanukovych’s presidential administration, Andriy Kliuiev, and his brother Serhiy.

A fourth family targeted is that of Viktor Pshonka, the former prosecutor-general. The other member of family on the blacklist, his son Artem, is deputy leader of the Party of the Regions, the party that provided the support base for Yanukovych.

Two advisers to Yanukovych – Andriy Portnov and Ihor Kalinin – are listed, as is the former head of state security, Oleksandr Yakymenko.

Five of the six others now subject to EU sanctions are former ministers, including Olena Lukash, who headed the justice ministry, and Vitaly Zakharchenko, who was interior minister.

Before Yanukovych fled from Kiev on 21 February, the EU had threatened sanctions solely against those involved in violence against demonstrators. Over the course of three months of protests, between 21 November and 21 February, around 100 Ukrainians were killed.

On Monday (3 March), EU foreign ministers approved the sanctions, expanding the targets to include people believed to have embezzled state money. Money recovered will be returned to Ukraine.

Fact File

The EU’s blacklist

Viktor Yanukovych: Former presidentOleksandr Yanukovych: Son of former president, businessmanViktor Yanukovych Junior: Son of former president, politician Mykola Azarov: Former prime ministerOleksiy Azarov: Son of former prime ministerAndriy Kliuiev: Former head of the presidential administrationSerhiy Kliuiev: Brother of former head of the presidential administration, businessmanViktor Pshonka: Former prosecutor-generalArtem Pshonka: Son of former prosecutor-general, deputy leader of the Party of the RegionsOleksandr Yakymenko: Former head of state securityAndriy Portnov: Former adviser to ex-president Viktor YanukovychIhor Kalinin: Former adviser to ex-president Viktor YanukovychOlena Lukash: Former justice ministerVitaly Zakharchenko: Former interior ministerViktor Ratushniak: Former deputy interior ministerDmytro Tabachnyk: Former minister of education and scienceRaisa Bohatyriova: Former health ministerSerhiy Kurchenko: Businessman

The sanctions came into effect today, when the list of names appeared in the EU’s Official Gazette.